This comes via the talented magical duo @barryandstuart…..take a look at this…..
So, say whether you are male or female and whether you saw a shoulder or bottom in the center of the picture….
Richard Wiseman
Quirky mind stuff
This comes via the talented magical duo @barryandstuart…..take a look at this…..
So, say whether you are male or female and whether you saw a shoulder or bottom in the center of the picture….
It’s a bottom!
…. no, wait…. it’s a shoulder… no wait, it’s a bottom!
bottom-shoulder-bottom-shoulder….
PS: I am male… but a gay one…. hang on, what does this say about me??
Botttom. And my wife also saw the bum…
Male. Bum, definitely. Took me ages to even figure out how it could be anything else.
Male, a very pert bum…..
Male. Bottom. Shoulder took me a minute…
Male, and saw a shoulder, but thought the person in the back was a ghost. ^_^;;
It’s an arse. Where is this shoulder of which you speak?
Male
male & bum
If you hadn’t mentioned the bottom I would never have seen it. I only saw shoulders.
female.
same here.
Ditto (male, saw shoulder, struggled to see bottom)
Male, Shoulder.
male & shoulders
Male.
A derrière…
Male & shoulder.
Male, bottom.
First thought – oi she’s forgot her knickers. Male
Exactly the same
Male, and immediately saw a bottom. I knew “it couldn’t be” so I kept looking until, with some effort and a few seconds later, I realized it was a shoulder.
Hello,
I want to know if you can allow me invest my money in your country as your partner. I have been into real estate business for many years until my recent retirement following my doctor’s advice for me to avoid any form of stress because of my failing health. Please tell me, can you invest my money for me? If you agree, we shall both share the total annual profit.
didnt see the bum at all
female didnt see bum or shoulder then i saw the bum and then realised a shoulder
Female, and shoulder. The picture looks very weird – I first thought it was heavily manipulated because it kind of “didn’t match” (probably caused by the girl in the background “growing out” of the other girl).
Male, saw a bottom, still see a bottom even though I know what’s going on. Maybe I simply *choose* to see a bottom.
Female, shoulder
Female. Bottom.
I didn’t see the bottom until I read it in the description, then it popped out at me. (no weird pun intended)
Female!
lady bottoms
male, bottom.
Saw a bum!! Then the shoulder lol
Female, bottom.
the first time i saw this photo, i only saw two girls, with one taking a photo, and probably would not have seen anything else except that it was noted there was something ‘strange’ about the photo. it took me several seconds before i saw it.
now i see the ‘bum’ immediately when i glance at the photo. except that its actually a bit too low to be anatomically correct…
Same here; didn’t notice the bum until I read the caption and now can’t see anything else!
Female.
Female
Bottom
Male, shoulder. Once you see the bottom it’s hard not to see it though.
I’m still trying to work out if we’re viewing them in a mirror or somebody else has taken a photo of them through a doorway. I guess nobody puts on mascara without looking in a mirror. Scratch that, some people look like they do…
I still refuse to believe it. It’s clearly a one-armed girl on the right, with a tiny accomplice hidden behind the girl on the left providing the extra arm to support the camera.
Female.
Bottom first, then I read your question and saw the shoulder.
Male: First I saw a bum, and then the shoulder.
Male. Shoulder.
Which I’m happy about as that is what is actually there and my deviant mind couldn’t sway my first impression!
Male, shoulder, didn’t see anything else until I read the test then saw a bottom
Female. Shoulder…until I saw the word ‘bottom’ underneath. Makes an interesting addition to the classic examples of psychology of visual perception.
Female, shoulder…
Female (gay), Shoulder
Female I see elbow and a shoulder behind it.
Male; bum. Saw the shoulder after reading that it was a possibility.
Male, and a shoulder. Would never have seen a bottom unless you’d pointed it out.
Male bottom.
Male. Saw a shoulder first (shortly followed by a bottom).
Male, bottom
Male and saw bottom. Showed it to my partner, she saw shoulder.
Male, shoulder. Cursed with a logical unimaginative mind
gay male.. if that matters…..shoulder, then a bottom
wow… and i saw an arse first… ok, i’m thinking that this is telling me something…. i just may be an arse-ist….
Female, shoulder.
female, bottom
Male, neither to start with (just 2 girls with some weird hair growing from nowhere behind one), then looked again for ‘something odd’ without reading the question and spotted the ‘bum’ before I noticed the girl at the back. Only realises it was a shoulder then when I read the question and looked again.
I hadn’t read the text yet so I immediately saw the butt but I couldn’t believe it. So I read the text and realized it was a trick, so I went back to the image to try to make out what was going on. It took a little effort but I did it. Now I can switch back and forth, like with that classic wireframe image of a cube.
I’m male by the way.
PS: I think the results would be more accurate if it had been an anonymous poll, like before. Glancing at the comments I get the impression men get a kick in saying they saw a butt first, and the opposite seems to be true for women as well. Anonymity wouldn’t completely eliminate people trying to make a point, but decoupling the object of the study from the reward for publicizing their selection would allow for more objective results, in my opinion.
I saw a bum as did my female colleague.
Male, bottom (first).
Female – bottom.
Male. First I guess a shoulder because it took me a while to figure out what the thing of note in the picture was (I didn’t read the text below the photo), then I saw the bottom, but almost straight away could see that it wasn’t really.
MB – Interesting!
Why didn’t you set a simple coding in responses, e.g. “begin your response MB, FB, MS, FS and then add any responses”?
Then you could scrape it into a table and look at the analysis overall, rather than relying on impressions from reading.
That’s how #uksnow became so effective. http://honestlyreal.wordpress.com/2009/02/01/a-flurry-of-uksnow/ tells the story.
Female – bare ass.
My husband also saw the bottom before I pointed out that it was the other girl’s shoulder.
female – bottom.
Your blog is slowly but steadily corrupting my brain.
My boyfriend only saw the shoulder. I had to point the bum out to him.
Armpit!
Gay male: shoulder.
Female – bottom!
or indeed, GMS for Flavio and others
I didn’t even know what I was supposed to be looking at. Then I read your question and then I realized that the thing I saw as a shoulder was at issue. Of course then I could see it as either, but I definitely saw it as a shoulder first.
I am genetically male, but identify as neutrois and am essentially asexual in orientation, for whatever it’s worth.
female -bottom
well because i follow you on twitter i knew straight away it was a bum! seeing as when you posted it the title was “optical illusion of a bum” so straight away i was looking for a bum!
im a girl, and dont know what id have seen if i werent pre-warned
male butt!
Funny stuff
Male/Bum. Didn’t see either bum or shoulder before I read the text below the picture, though. At first I was just thinking “what can possibly be ambiguous about this picture?”
First a bottom, later a shoulder
Female…saw neither until it was pointed out then saw bottom first then shoulder.
Male. Saw a bum, then I remembered the photographer has a second shoulder and saw that. Then the disappointment began…
[...] What do you see when you look at this? « Richard Wiseman's Blog a few seconds ago from Gwibber [...]
shoulder, but thats not a mirror its a doorway
Why would it be a doorway?
Oh, I see, it doesn’t make sense to use an actual mirror if you’re trying to get the models to pose correctly for the illusion.
[...] What do you see when you look at this? « Richard Wiseman's Blog a few seconds ago from mbpidgin [...]
Male, Italian.
Bottom, but after one or two seconds it seemed strange and said “it is not possibile”. Then I looked to the text
and relaized that it was a shoulder. but I still continue to see a bottom.
Alf
male / bottom
Female
Saw shoulder and bottom at the same time.. if that’s possible?
Female. Bottom. Thought ‘that’s a bit weird’. Didn’t see the shoulder until I read the description and looked for it.
Male
… and this proves I don’t know my arse from my elbow!
Male , shoulder
Male. Was too busy with the girl in front to notice, but can see both alternatives after you pointed them out.
Male & Shoulder. Took me a while to find the bum.
I’m getting a little worried that most other blokes saw the bum.
be afraid… be very afraid….
I think it just depends where you start looking. I started looking at the makeup girl, then the camera girl, and then the background. So I saw the shoulder first.
If I deliberately look at the background girl first then I see her bum.
female – shoulder
male – shoulder then bum.
Male – shoulder. Though I looked at the girl on the left’s chest first.
Same here.
Male, bottom
Stared at the arse for 30 seconds the finally saw the shoulder.
Male.
suppose it was the bum, as it looked like the woman at the back has 3 legs!
does depend where you start looking, started with the back girl’s hair then moved down.
Male
I am a lady, I saw a backside at first, didn’t see the shoulder till i read the description and looked closely.
I saw a bottom, then read the description and could see the shoulder but still prefer to see the bottom
I’m a guy btw
Male, and very much a bottom. But then, I haven’t had it in weeks
Male, saw a bottom. Very Darwinian of me, no?
Male
at first I saw a bottom then I reconised a shoulder and now I cannot get the bum back. How do I get the bum back I want to see the bum
Male. I saw a shoulder. But then, I’m a Baptist…
Female, saw a shoulder. And I agree with those who say that, if you see a bum, then the girl seems to have 3 legs.
Male Only saw the shoulder when it was pointed out.
male – shoulder
But I was distracted by the camera. As someone else said it is not clear whether the image we see has been taken by that camera or by someone else to the side.
Can we have a poll within a poll? (I’m sure RW would like the idea of nested polls).
just say yes (it was that camera) or no (it was someone else or it has been doctored in photoshop).
Male – I didn’t even notice that part of the image until you mentioned it.
Male, I saw the bottom and I looked at the picture before reading your comment.
Male, shoulder. Took a moment after reading the question to work out where the bottom could be.
Male and saw a shoulder
Oh dear, a bottom. And had to look very hard to see a shoulder. Female.
Female – first nothing worth mentioning. Then a bum – then a shoulder – then a bum
Male, shoulder. Saw two people, and something in the background. So didn’t pick up the context for the bum at first. Now, I keep seeing the bum, though it *has* to be a shoulder …
Female, shoulders
A botton o.O
I just saw the Shoulder!
After read “… you saw a shoulder or bottom…” than i reconize that was a shoulder… but still so easy to see the botton ;P
[female]
Male. It’s the photographer’s shoulder. As a connoisseur of female bottoms, I should know.
Male. Bottom.
Male. Armpit.
Female. I saw a shoulder when I first looked at it.
Female. Bottom.
I’m a woman. I saw the arm first, but then after looking closely for about 30 seconds for anything unusual, I saw the bottom.
Male – Shoulder
male, shoulder
female
bottom
Male. Bottom.
Female, bottom.
male, shoulder
Male — but I found this picture so visually “busy” it took me study to even understand what you were asking about (I noticed the hair and “wings” of the top portion much more prominently.)
Female, shoulder, until I read I was supposed to see a bottom, then I could see it, too.
Male. Bottom.
Male. Tried to work out what was going on with the ladder/lower bunk/third bed in front of the lower bunk. Then read the caption, and could see both.
Male, shoulder.
Male. Didn’t see either until I saw the question, and then saw shoulder first; saw bottom after using my imagination. Was busy trying to figure out what was where in the mirror.
Female. Bottom.
male here. i totally saw it as a bum. couldn’t even tell it was a shoulder until reading it.
Male — First a bum…then after closer scrutiny I saw the shoulder/Arm…then it was hard to see the bum…then sliding down here and back up I see the Bum first and have to focus to see the shouler/Arm again.
Female – I saw a shoulder!
Male and a butt once you mentioned it.
male, bottom.
Male. And I saw a bottom.
Male, saw a bottom.
Male, shoulder.
Male- I saw a shoulder first, then did a double take- it looked like a bottom. Then I saw a shoulder again.
Female-
At first glance I saw a bottom, but then I was sure it was a shoulder.
Male. Bottom. It’s kinda creepy as it shifts from bottom to shoulder.
Female – shoulder/armpit.
Didn’t see it as “bottom” until reading the question!
Bottom – and I stick to that (But than I am well aware of having a dirty mind) – oh yes and I’m male of course
I’m male, and I saw a bottom at first glance, but it quickly reverted to a shoulder, maybe because you’ve got me used to looking at these things.
Now I’ve seen it it is very hard to make it look like a bottom again.
Male/shoulder. Honestly, it’s just *way* too low to be a butt I’d want to look at. Maybe you should have asked us our weight instead of our sex.
Female, bottom.
Only saw the shoulder after I read the explanation.
Female.
I saw the picture before reading the instruction – and I’d assumed it was a shoulder in the middle. But once I read the instructions and looked again, it looked like a bottom. Now I can see both very easily.
male, bum
Female. I didn’t actually see anything until I read the explanation so that skews it. But I saw a shoulder.
Meant to say I didn’t *notice* anything til I read the explanation. I saw the picture
Female – I saw a shoulder, my husband saw a bottom.
I am a woman and saw a shoulder. I didn’t even notice the ‘bum’ until you mentioned it.
Female, shoulder.
Male. Shoulder. Didn’t see a bum at first, because I didn’t see the girl in back until a second later.
Male: bum
Male, Shoulder much to low for an a*se, although I can see it.
Male-saw the shoulder first then the Butt after it was mentioned. But it is still ONLY a shoulder
Male, bottom.
I am male, saw the bottom first (once I even SAW the girl in the background) until I read your full description, then recognized my error.
Male. Shoulder.
I’m male. I see a bottom. Yes, a bottom. I know it’s a shoulder…but i still see a bottom. If there was no shoulder, I would still see a bottom. I’ve now closed my eyes, and gone into a darkened room….yep, it’s still there!
Did I mention I see a bottom?
Male. Bottom. I had to try quite hard to see a shoulder.
Female – shoulder.
I saw two girls taking a picture at the mirror until I was told to figure out whether there was a shoulder or a bottom…which when I saw…I saw bottom. M
Saw a shoulder first, but on second glance, I can see the bum also.
Nicely done!
Male. Shoulder.
Female:Shoulder!
Male and I saw a bottom…and I have no intention of changing my mind in the face of evidence.
it looks like a butt of course! I know it’s a shoulder, but it still looks like a butt …
female – bum!
(and also a cameltoe)
Female. Derriere first, then microseconds later, oxter. Brain had to swing into gear.
Female. Nothing, and then a Shoulder. =]
I didn’t see the bottom until I read further on, then I spotted it straight away. Female
Female – saw a butt first. I actually had to check 3 times before I realized it was an armpit.
MY roommates and I were pretty laid back about a lot of things when we lived together…
Male, Bottom. I opened the article at work and instantly went into panic mode and closed it. Brought it back up just now on my lunch break at home and only after reading that it could be a shoulder did I kinda see it.
Male. Bottom. That is, a female bottom, but I am male. I mean, my bottom is a male bottom, but the bottom that isn’t in the picture is not a female bottom.
I saw a shoulder at first. Then thought, “Hey, look! A butt!”. But, oh wait, it’s a shoulder/armpit . . .
Female.
A shoulder, the bottom I can see too, when I check. was first checking for a huge bottom .. I did not see it rightaway after having seen the shoulder .. Must have been quite some work to get it like this Or maybe not. Or simply a coincedence.
I’m .. erm .. female .. I think. I’m sure. Sort of. Is it body male/female you aim at? Then it is female. Sort of.
Yes, female. That’s what this superb bod is called on planet earth Who is in it .. that’s the question.
Male. At first a bottom.
Male. Saw a bottom. Shoulder only after reading the post. Now I can not see bottom anymore
I am male, saw a bottom.
Male – thought it was one of those dumb ghost pictures first, didn’t notice anything odd about it. Then saw the question, saw elbow first, after a few seconds saw the bum.
I saw a bottom first, and then worked out it’s a shoulder after reading the text. I’m female.
male. saw a bottom.
Saw the shoulder, read the blurb, then saw nothing but the butt. Had to work for the shoulder again.
er, female. And forgetful.
bottom – female
female and shoulder
[...] there’s actually a shoulder hidden in the picture. It’s all on your mind. [via @barryandstuart, Richard Wiseman, who asks if you’re male or female and what you saw first, bottom or shoulder. Definitely a [...]
Friend’s response: ‘Either a doorway or a mirror’ (he’s male)
[...] A imagem é completamente segura para o trabalho. Olhe com atenção. Há um cotovelo escondido. Está tudo em sua mente. [via Richard Wiseman] [...]
I’m female and I saw a bum, but I knew it COULDN’T be a bum, so I looked for a while and finally saw the shoulder.
Male & shoulder
It took me ages to see the bum. (and I consider myself highly tuned to bums!)
male, shoulder
how could I have missed the bottom!
male, shoulder. I still struggle to see the bum, mainly because that would mean there’s a gap in the camera girl’s arm? Also it’s not symmetrical enough to be a bum.
omg
I didn’t notice that it was a shoulder until you mentioned it!
haha
MALE
Female — For once I didn’t see the “dirty” thing first. I saw a shoulder. I actually had to look at it for a minute to see a bum. Now it’s pretty clear, though.
Male. Saw both. That portion of the image is complex enough that it got my attention in more ways than one.
Yes, how do you explain the ghost doing
her make up in the mirror. We know
she’s a ghost, because eye make up
has been obsolete since the late
20th century while this is obviously a
digital camera post 2005.
Before reading the question, I thought “that’s atypically riske for Wiseman”.
100% bum.
I am male. I saw a shoulder, at least until I read the question.
Male. Shoulder.
I think you can ´lipread´ the woman with blue pants who is taking the picture, Ha!
pervy brain?
Male, bottom. But I immediately knew the cause of the illusion.
Female – Bum
It’s a shoulder
Male.
Didn’t even occur to me to look in the centre of the picture until I read the text underneath. Then saw bottom.
Female
i saw two people and the camera (so i guess the shoulder)
I had to read the text to see the shoulder or the bum
Most people wouldn’t focus on looking at that pat of the picture
The two girls (and the camera) stand out significantly more
Male… shoulder first then bottom on closer examination
Male. Bum, briefly, then armpit, shoulder.
I had to read what the photo was about before I saw the bum, but I did notice the issue with the blue pants
male, i didn’t see a shoulder until i read it.
I’m a woman and I saw a bum first.
Male
Bottom
Male/Shoulder
Male. Had to have the butt pointed out to me before I could see it.
male. saw a bottom
Male – immediately saw a bottom
Male – shoulder
sexy bottom, male
Shoulder, Male
Male. Bottom.
Though it quickly turned into a shoulder.
male, bottom, that was first sight, but saw the shoulder when u say so
Male. I jumped right to bottom, but knew something wasn’t quite right. It took quite a bit of looking to see it as a shoulder.
male – shoulder.
I saw a butt first. im a guy so thats to be expected
Female.
Bottom.
Female, saw the bum first and a couple of seconds later the armpit.
Male. I stared at this for several minutes wondering what you were talking about, then suddenly saw a bottom (before that it was a shoulder).
female and i looked at it for a very long tym tring to figure out wat it is and i fink its a bum!!! but very small 1
male. shoulder.
Male. Bottom.
my 10 year old son saw the shoulder then nearly wet himself giggling when he noticed it could be a bum…..yip, he’s still in knots!
Male. Theres a shoulder?
Male. shoulder
Without reading the title I appeared to have an brief hallucination of something and felt aroused.
Looking at the picture from left to right.
SHOULDER, until you told me now I don’t know.
female :
saw the bum first then realised it was the shoulder.
Male, shoulder… and I couldn’t see a bottom, though I think I get how people would “see” it… the armpit.
male : shoulder
Male. Perfect ass.
Male, Shoulder
Male: bottom.
female friend: shoulder.
Female: Saw shoulder; then asked husband what he saw….
Male: Saw bottom
Male. I saw a shoulder until I read the bottom text, now all I see is the bottom unless I think about it.
I saw a shoulder until I read the text – now I can see both. Female.
female
shoulder for sure. tok me a minute to find the bottom after the fact.
Male. Shoulder.
Male, and saw a bottom.
Male. Bottom.
Male. I saw ass.
I’m a female. I saw a shoulder.
Male and bottom, but a skinny one.
Female, shoulder, although I somehow wish it were the other way around.
male n butt
f-female OH MY GOD I READ “SHOULDER” AND DOUBLETAKED AUGH WTF
wait, is it doubletook? no, that sounds weird…
ANYWAY BUMS FOR ME
male – shoulder
Male, bottom. Could easily see the shoulder, as well.
Arse!
Male.
female, shoulder.
Female, shoulder, only saw the butt when it was pointed out as a possibility.
Female, shoulder.
Male … nice bum
Male. Shoulder.
I couldn’t even see anything that could have been anything else, until the bottom was mention, and even then, it only sorta kinda looks like one, but I know it’s a shoulder.
Male
Bottom
It has to be a shoulder, because otherwise the person holding the camera is missing an arm.
Female. At first I didn’t see either (I was looking for some sort of trick between the reflection and what you see in the room). Then I saw a bottom. Later a shoulder.
I didn’t see anything until I saw the choices. Shoulder, no contest.
Sorry, male
Me Be seeing ASS
male & bum
Male. Bum first. After a few seconds, a shoulder.
Male, shoulder.
Very funny photo, I saw the shoulder first then the bottom.
Female, bottom!
female, shoulder
bottom…male
male – shoulder, took like 10-20 seconds longer to see the bottom
Female. Bottom!
Female, bottom. Funny. I would have thought I’ll see a shoulder
Female. All I saw was a bottom, then when I stared at it, I saw the shoulder.
female- it a sholder look carefully and you will think if thats a bum den wer is da sholder?
i see both..shoulders female bum honestly could be either. :p
Female; I saw the shoulder.
My 5 year old daughter says bum…I see both!
LOL!
I am a female
Female, bottom.
Bi female, shoulder.
Female, and i saw the bum first
took me a while to see the shoulder
didn’t see shoulder until you said underneath.
male
Shoulder, I didn’t see anything else until you pointed it out.
Male.
Still cant see yhe shoulder hahaha
I actually saw boobs first… then realised that didn’t match up with the people in the photo.
Then bum. Then it’s a shoulder.
-male-
female, shoulder.
female, shoulder. i really had to look hard to find anything else!
I saw an impossibly long truncheon
Never have I ever beat it so hard to just an elbow. Thank you.
I saw a bottom first. I’m a bisexual male. Cheers.
The first half of our lives is ruined by our parents, and the second half by our children….
Small projects need much more help than great….